One Year

Lesson (2)

"You dare question me?  Did I not marry your Prince?  Am I not the Lady of this courtyard?  You dare not to give me any face!"  Siri said as she pointed her finger at Nurse Mi.  "I gave you a chance to go do as I bid, I didn't want to hit you, but you caused this upon yourself.  I gave you face, because you help raise Prince Ryu, but you seem to have forgotten your place.  You have forgotten to be humble in front of those that are higher in your standings.  With your old age, have you forgotten your manners and the etiquette of the royal palace?" 

Siri had not only insulted Nurse Mi of her lack of manners and royal palace etiquette, but she also implied that her old age is the reason why she has forgotten how to act.  Thus implying that Siri would retire her from her duties at a Nurse and send her out of the palace. 

"Why are you still here?  Did I not tell you that you have 10 minutes to gather all the servants who cleaned my courtyard?  Did you already forget my orders?"  Siri asked. 

Nurse Mi got up quickly and ran out of the house, forgetting her identity as the second most respected Nurse, next to Nurse Nancy. 

Nurse Nancy stared down on to the floor and waited.  She knew that although she helped raise Prince Ryu, he would not come save her.  They were close when he was young, however as he grew up, their stations in life became further and further apart.  She was just the dirt who helped raise the dragon.  And his cold attitude and demeanor had become more cold since he lost the use of his legs. 

Within 10 minutes, servants came running inside with Nurse Mi, they all knelt down in perfect rows when they entered and waited for Siri to speak.  The silence drew out longer and longer as Siri watched them.  The servants became restless and worried for their fate as Siri held their fate in her hands.  They would peak at their new Princess from under their eyelashes and quickly look down as her angry and cold demeanor made them feel ashamed. 

"Is this how you all clean?" Siri asked them quietly.  "Is this how you clean Prince Ryu's courtyard as well?  How can highly trained royal servants be so lazy?  Is it because there hasn't been a Mistress in the courtyard to manage all of you that you think you can be lazy with the up keep of each courtyard?!?" 

They all bowed, their heads hitting the floor.  "Please forgive us!"  They all said in unison. 

"My poor husband has a bunch of useless servants over so many years, how could he know any better about the managing of the households and the managing of the servants." 

Siri's wild accusations caused the servants to feel unfairly judged.  They kept Prince Ryu's courtyard very clean, it was jus this far eastern courtyard, which was rumored to be haunted that they didn't keep clean.  They let it over grown with weeds and let the dust gather in this place. 

"Tell me what should your punishment be for making my husband lose face yesterday?"  She asked them.  "The noble ladies saw how shabby the outer courtyard is and how poorly it was decorated, compared to how fancy Prince Ryu's courtyard was.  And when they entered my bridal chambers, they saw how dusty and unclean it was.  Now my husband will now be involved with rumors of having an unclean courtyard, lazy servants, and poor management of household matters!  You have caused your master to lose face!  Tell me what your punishment should be?" 

They all kowtowed over and over declaring that they should die. 

"And your Prince had to spend the night in this filthy place!  Do you know how much my heart ached for him to stay in such a place?!  How can you hold up your head in pride that your laziness caused your Prince to sleep in such a place! You should all die!"  Siri said coldly.  But she knew they were all Prince Ryu's people.  They all were valuable to him so she couldn't really kill them.  Training a servant to be loyal to only him takes a long time, for loyalty takes a long time to develop between Master and servant.  But once loyalty is earned, it is a priceless commodity that can't be replaced. 

"You all should be ashamed of yourself!  If you had an issue with me, you tell me to my face why you dislike me.  But to do these under handed things and make your Prince lose face on his wedding day, you have cause harm to him!  All of you are to kneel for six hours to think about what you have done wrong, then you are to clean this courtyard, inside and out until not one speck of dust can be seen.  You are then to clean every courtyard in Prince Ryu's property until they are all cleaned afterwards you are to kneel in front of Prince Ryu's courtyard and beg him for forgiveness for your folly.  Should he decide to forgive you for your mistake, then it will be your luck, however should he not forgive you, your fate will be in his hands."  Siri ordered them.  "Should I see any of you hesitate, rest, or complain, I will make your regret living!"